Almaty (TDI): Kazakhstan and Afghanistan have initiated discussions to strengthen their transportation logistics, particularly focusing on trade with China.
In a meeting held in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin and Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce Nuriddin Azizi addressed the movement of goods between China and Afghanistan via Kazakhstan.
This follows Kazakhstan’s decision in June to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations, a move seen as part of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s broader strategy to foster economic and trade ties with Afghanistan.
In August, Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry further expanded this relationship by accrediting a chargé d’affaires from the Taliban-led government, paving the way for increased trade, financial, and humanitarian cooperation.
A key issue raised during the meeting was the efficient reverse loading of railcars and containers on their return journey from Afghanistan.
Kazakhstan is exploring the option of utilizing these railcars to transport Afghan agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, persimmons, and beans to reduce logistics costs.
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Bauyrzhan Urynbasarov, managing director of Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), proposed two solutions for this reverse loading issue.
One option involves a circular train route, where containers traveling from China through Kazakhstan to Afghanistan are filled with Afghan goods destined for China, potentially passing through Pakistan’s Karachi port before returning to China.
The second option suggests loading Afghan goods onto trains in Afghanistan, returning them to Kazakhstan, where they are then filled with Kazakh products for export to China.
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During the meeting, Zhumangarin also encouraged Afghanistan to leverage Kazakh logistics infrastructure, including the country’s terminal in China’s dry port in Xi’an, the Kazakh-Chinese terminal at the port of Lianyungang, and a terminal under construction in Urumqi, Xinjiang.
Both sides agreed to hold an interregional Kazakh-Afghan forum aimed at fostering cooperation between Afghanistan’s provinces and Kazakhstan’s regions.
Bilateral Trade
From January to August 2024, trade turnover between the two countries reached $330.7 million, with Kazakhstan exporting goods worth $316.5 million, primarily flour, sunflower oil, natural gas, and fertilizers.
Afghan exports during the same period amounted to $14.1 million, consisting mainly of mineral water, fruits, juices, and aluminum products.
The Afghan delegation’s visit to Almaty also coincided with an exhibition showcasing Afghan food and industrial products.
